Portable voting booth

• US 4,510,378 A
• Filed: 10/19/1983
• Issued: 04/09/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ball Computer Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Veeder Industries Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Dolson, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Application Number:
  US06/543,392
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 235/50 R-50 B, 235/52, 235/51, 312/237, 312/258, 312/262, 312/3, 312/5
• US Class Current: 235/50.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus

Abstract

A portable voting booth is pivotally positionable in a compact storage mode and an expanded voting mode. The voting booth comprises a base storage container and a support console pivotally mounted to the container. A voting console having a ballot means is pivotally mounted to the display console. A pair of panels are connected to the voting console in a generally upright voting mode. The base container forms a generally horizontally disposed base support. The support console and voting console are in generally upright relationship with the booth means being rearwardly supported and forming a generally forward overhang structure. Means are also provided to lower the ballot display to a position for access by handicapped voters.

Claims

1. A portable voting booth expandable from a storage mode to a voting mode and collapsable from said voting mode to said storage mode comprising:

a base storage container;

a support console pivotally mounted to said container;

a voting console having a ballot display means and pivotally mounted to said support console;

a booth means connected to said voting console and expandable to visually isolate said ballot display means;

said booth means, voting console, and support console being receivable in nestled relationship within said storage container in a storage mode and being expandable to a stable voting mode wherein said ballot display means is presented in a generally upright position relative to said container and said ballot display means is visually isolatable by said booth means.

2. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein said container has a generally box-like form and said support console forms a lid for said container in the storage mode.

3. The portable voting booth of claim 1 further comprising a pair of wheels mounted to said container.

4. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein said container includes a front panel having a pair of slots, and said booth comprises a pair of arms extending outwardly through said slots, said arms mounting a stabilizer bar.

5. The portable voting booth of claim 4 wherein said container further includes a rear panel, said booth being adapted in the storage mode for being uprightly supported on said rear panel.

6. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein said container provides a base support for said booth in the voting mode.

7. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein said container further includes a storage compartment means.

8. The portable voting booth of claim 4 wherein the voting mode of said ballot display means may be forwardly lowered to a stable handicapped position.

9. The portable voting booth of claim 8 wherein said stabilizer bar supports said booth in the handicapped position.

10. The portable voting booth of claim 9 further comprising shifter means for retracting said stabilizer bar to a retracted position in the storage mode and projecting said bar to an extended position in the voting mode.

11. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein said support console comprises a pair of side frame members connected to opposite sides of a front support panel.

12. The portable voting booth of claim 11 wherein the voting console has a substantially box-like shape including two side panels, and a rear panel.

13. The portable voting booth of claim 12 wherein the voting console is pivotally mounted to the support console at intermediate locations in opposite side panels of the voting console.

14. The portable voting booth of claim 13 wherein in the voting mode said voting console is slightly inclined relative to said support console, said rear panel contacting a portion of the front support panel.

15. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein the voting console is pivoted from the support console to expand the booth from the storage mode to the voting mode.

16. The portable voting booth of claim 13 further comprising pivot adjustment means on the support console to adjust the pivot axis of the voting console.

17. The portable voting booth of claim 15 wherein the voting console further includes counterbalancing means to facilitate pivoting of the voting console.

18. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein the support console is hinged to the container.

19. The portable voting booth of claim 15 further comprising a console latch means for latching the voting console to the support console when the voting booth is collapsed to the storage mode.

20. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein when said booth is expanded from the storage mode to the voting mode, the support console is pivoted from said container to a generally upright position relative to said container.

21. The portable voting booth of claim 20 further comprising support counterbalancing means to facilitate pivoting of the support console from the container.

22. The portable voting booth of claim 20 further comprising support latch means to latch the support console in said generally upright position.

23. The portable voting booth of claim 21 wherein the counter balancing means acts against a cam track formed on said support console.

24. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein said booth means comprises a pair of front panels hinged to said voting console.

25. The portable voting booth of claim 24 further comprising panel latch means for latching said panels to said voting console.

26. The portable voting booth of claim 25 wherein said booth means further comprises a pair of curtain rods pivotally mounted to said voting console and foldable into said voting console in the storage mode.

27. The portable voting booth of claim 26 wherein in said voting mode said front panels are forwardly opened and each said curtain rod is supported in a fixed extended position on a curtain support projecting from a said front panel.

28. The portable voting booth of claim 27 wherein in said voting mode said front panels contact against the support console to act to prevent pivoting of the voting console relative to the support console.

29. The portable voting booth of claim 28 further comprising a curtain rod extension connecting said foldable curtain rods and a curtain suspended from said extension.

30. The portable voting booth of claim 27 further comprising a latch member projecting from each of said front panels, said latch member being said curtain support and a component of said panel latch means.

31. The portable voting booth of claim 25 wherein said panel latch means comprises a resilient bifurcated plate forming a pair of recesses and a button means received in the voting console to unlatch said latch means upon depression thereof.

32. The portable voting booth of claim 1 wherein the ballot display means includes a membrane-type ballot display.

33. A portable voting booth positionable in a compact storage mode and an expanded voting mode comprising:

a base means;

a support console pivotally mounted to said base means;

a voting console pivotally mounted to said support console and having a ballot display;

a panel means connected to said voting console and expandable to provide a booth means to visually isolate said ballot display.

34. The portable voting booth of claim 33 wherein said support console is pivotal to a stable upright position relative to said base means.

35. The portable voting booth of claim 34 wherein said voting console is pivotal to a stable slightly inclined position relative to said support console.

36. The portable voting booth of claim 33 wherein the panel means comprises a pair of doors hinged to said voting console.

37. The portable voting booth of claim 36 wherein the booth means comprises said doors and a curtain suspended from a curtain rod means supported by said doors.

38. The portable voting booth of claim 33 wherein in said voting mode said base means forms a generally horizontally disposed base support, said support console and voting console being generally upright relative to said base means, and said booth means being rearwardly supported and forming a generally forward overhang structure.

39. The portable voting booth of claim 38 wherein said base means forms a container, said support console, voting console, and panel means being received in said container in a storage mode.

40. A portable voting booth positionable in a compact storage mode and an expanded voting mode comprising:

base means to enclose said booth in a storage mode and support said booth in a voting mode;

voting means including a ballot display receivable in said base means in a storage mode and pivotally expandable to present the ballot display in a generally upright position relative to said base means in a voting mode; and

panel means pivotally connected to said voting console and pivotally expandable to form a booth to visually isolate said ballot display in the voting mode.